A Benue State veterinary doctor, Dr. Shadrach Akpem, has won a $10,000 (₦15 million) prize at the Global Innovate for Impact Challenge Finals held in the United States.
The Director-General of the Benue State Bureau of Livestock Development and Transboundary Animal Diseases Control, Dr. Aondoakaa Asambe, announced the achievement in a congratulatory message issued on Thursday in Makurdi.
Dr. Akpem, who serves as Technical Assistant to the Director-General, emerged second-place winner at the World Food Prize Foundation’s Innovate for Impact Challenge Finals held on October 22 in Des Moines, Iowa, USA.
According to Asambe, the competition—organised by the World Food Prize Foundation—aims to identify and support young innovators developing transformative solutions for global food and agricultural systems.
“This year’s event attracted over 400 applications from 65 countries, with three exceptional finalists selected to compete at the prestigious Borlaug Dialogue in Iowa, often described as the ‘Davos of global agriculture,’” Asambe said.
He explained that Dr. Akpem’s innovation, Vet Konect, is a digital platform that connects livestock farmers and pet owners with verified veterinary professionals, ensuring timely access to animal healthcare, improving productivity, and strengthening food security across Africa.
The platform’s impact-driven model has already reached thousands of farmers and veterinarians across Nigeria, bridging the gap between rural communities and essential animal health services.
“For his outstanding innovation and social impact, Dr. Akpem received a $10,000 award to scale his work and expand Vet Konect’s reach to underserved farming communities across Africa,” Asambe added.
He further noted that Dr. Akpem, a Mandela Washington Fellow and multi-award-winning veterinarian, is the first Nigerian and African finalist to reach the top three in the history of the Innovate for Impact Challenge.
Asambe described the accomplishment as a defining moment for African innovation and youth-led agricultural transformation.
Quoting Dr. Akpem, he said:
“This victory is not about me alone—it’s about Africa’s resilient innovators who believe that sustainable solutions can come from within.
Vet Konect is proof that technology, when driven by purpose, can transform animal health, food security, and livelihoods across our continent.”
Through Vet Konect and his social enterprise, Mobovet Nigeria Ltd, Dr. Akpem has also empowered over 40,000 Nigerian youths through training in digital innovation, entrepreneurship, and employability, while promoting inclusive livestock development and poverty reduction.
